1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screen editing apparatus for editing the contents of an operating page to be displayed on a display device, a screen editing method for editing the contents of an operating page to be displayed on a display device, a screen editing program for causing a computer processor to carry out the screen editing method, an electronic apparatus for displaying the operating page on the display device based on data edited by means of the screen editing apparatus or the screen editing method, and an image forming apparatus which is one of such an electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a configuration is known that, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) is displayed on a display device, and, with the use of the GUI, various data is displayed to a user or an operation by a user is received.
Design of such a GUI can be carried out in such a manner that various components, such as a button for receiving the operation by a user, a character displaying frame for displaying set contents and so forth, are disposed on a page. Further, recently, there are many requests for customization of a GUI to meet a user's purpose by editing the contents of a pager in addition to a case where a GUI provided by a manufacturer is used as it is.
The following patent documents 1, 2 and 3, for example, discuss customization of a GUI:
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2005-45370
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-150971
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-5825
The patent document 1 discusses an image forming apparatus with which it is possible to change a display or non-display state, a position, a size and so forth of each function key on a display page displayed on a liquid crystal display device, by selecting a panel customization mode.
The patent document 2 discusses an art such that an operating page of an electronic apparatus can be edited as a result of a server being accessed from a user terminal. Further, the patent document 2 discusses an example of editing such as increasing/decreasing a size of an operating button, cutting a part, combining parts, changing a position, or killing (or deleting) a function of the operating button, and so forth.
The patent document 3 discusses an industrial machine with which it is possible to customize a GUI by modifying a HTML file setting a page layout.
Further, a patent document 4 (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2006-260085) discusses access rolls for efficiently controlling a user authentication process, and a proving process for the authenticated user being able to use a function, and controlling, by a manager of a system, available functions according to a user's request.
Recently, in various electronic apparatuses typified by image forming apparatuses, a function of such customization of a GUI is provided as a set function which may be set for the entirety of an apparatus. In such an apparatus, a user can change a display position, a size and so forth of each button, a caption or such, or can select usable or operable functions by changing a display/non-display state of each button on a GUI.
Further, a program function or a macro function is known such that set contents or a series of set operation contents in an apparatus are previously registered, and can be reflected on operation of the apparatus as a result of being called as is necessary.
However, if such a GUI customization function and a program function or a macro function are used simultaneously, an inappropriate setting may be carried out by a user in particular in a case where a plurality of users share data concerning the functions.
For example, a case is assumed where, while a first user uses a first GUI which the first user has customized, and the first user calls a program or a macro, which has been created by a second user as being used with a second GUI different from the first GUI. In this case, in the program or the macro, an instruction may be described such that a function concerning a button, which is not displayed on the first GUI, is to be turned on. When such an instruction is described in the program or the macro and is executed during the first user uses the first GUI, a corresponding function, which is not displayed on the first GUI at all, is turned on, and the turning on of the button may not be known by the first user. It is necessary to solve such a problem in a case where page data created by means of a customization function or a program or macro data created by means of a program or a macro function are shared by a plurality of users.
It is noted that the same problem may occur even in a case of a single user due to an erroneous operation, misunderstanding or such, which may occur upon creation of a program or a macro.